A Polk County jury found Beloni Petit-Frere guilty on Tuesday of the brutal 2020 stabbing deaths of a former girlfriend and the man who was with her at a Winter Haven motel.
The same jury will now be asked to decide whether Petit-Frere should die by lethal injection after his conviction on two counts of first-degree capital murder in the deaths of Timothy Anderson, 40, and Leslee Umpleby, 49, on Oct. 13, 2020, at the Rose Motel, .
Penalty phase proceedings
The jury will start hearing evidence Monday. The prosecution argues there were aggravating circumstances behind the murders. Those claims must outweigh mitigating factors to be presented by the defense.
When filing its intent to pursue the death penalty, the State Attorney’s Office said the following aggravating circumstances existed:
- The defendant was previously convicted of another capital felony or one involving the use or threat of violence to the person.
- The capital felony was committed while the defendant was engaged in the commission of, or flight after committing or attempting to commit robbery resulting in great bodily harm.
- The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.
- And lastly, the capital felony was a homicide committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner, without moral or legal justification.
Records filed with the 10 th Judicial Circuit Clerk of Courts show the defense has hired a mitigation specialist to counter the prosecution’s claims…